The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-18
PATTI AT THE METROPOLITAN.

Still the Greatest Singer Of the Age.
NEW YORK, April 16.-There was an eX-
traordinary contrast at the Metropolitan
Opera House Monday night Patti was
singing "Traviata.n 1t was her first APP
pearance in New York insthe magnificent
new opera house, and the occasion was
gala one. All the old operagoers who were
formerly such stanch supporters of the
Academy of Music, and who have been the
personal friends and fervid admirers Of Nine.
Adehna Patti ever since she made her first
appearance here, twenty five years ago, We're
there. Every seat was occupied, and the
boxes were crowded by the fashion, beauty
and wealth of New York. 1t was such a
throng as never turned out for Ger
man opera Mapleson's repeated fail
sons ago and this occasion was seized upon
for Patti ovation. As for the diva her
self, she is as young, sprghtly and graceful
as ever, while her marvellous voice possesses
all its old-time fexibility, beauty, purity
and force. She is the eighth wonder of the
world, for the luxuries of pampered life,
the adulation of the civilized world, from
monarchs to paupers, and the fierce strain
of incessant publicity have left her at the
age of forty-three as childlike, joyous and
radiant as debutante at her first bail.
Other green opera singers have grown
wheezy, fat, unwieldy, cranky and sordld
and what not at the age of thirty, and none
has reached her fortieth year and still re-
tanned not only her youth and beauty, but
still held n position OF unassailable emlnence
in the art1sti3 world. Patti is to-day the
greatest of prima donnas, just as she was
quarter of century ago.
The curtain has gone down on the second
act and the applause was deafening. Voices
rose in sharp "bravos" from various parts
of the house and hundreds of women leaned
from their boxes, beaming upon the idol OF
the hour. The stage was deluged with flow
ers, and even the orchestra had caught the
excitement All along in the middle of the
stage was Patti bowling and cOurtesying be-
fore the tribute of spontaneous admiration
from the frantic thousands packed i'll the
gilded opera house.
! went out into the lobby, where the roars
of applause still followed me, and was going
toward the smoking room when q man
caught my arm and said half savagely:
Good Cod, what sight that is.
| followed the direction of his eyes and
saw Selma Dolaro standing at the entrance
of the opera house, gazing with rapt and
eager look at the interior of the house. The
roar reached her ears. Her big black eyes
blaZed with the excitement of the moment.
She leaned heavily against the doorway.
Her face was wasted and white. She
seemed to be drinking in the echo OF the
roaring applause.
~ spoke to her a moment ago" continued
the clubman, still clasping my arm convul-
sively. 81 asked her how she was and she
said simply: I'm dead woman walking
Broadway
rs she alonem
'No. There's an escort further back. See
how she moves up to hear the applause, |
remember when she was as much the idol
of London as Patti is of New York tonight.
What beautiful woman she was, toor
A thousand scenes shifted through my
mind as l stood there looking at the wreck
of one of the most beautiful women who
ever graced the New York stage. For
long time Selma Dolaro was the rage. At
the height of her fame she was stricken
down by hasty consumption. The ravages
of the disease were awful. The dramatic
profession, which is always generous to the
unfortunate, extended helping hand to her
in her need. She had not been seen in pub
lie for long time until she managed to go
to the opera house that night. She stood
without the portals, shadow of her former
self, listening to the echoes of the trium-
plant success within. BLAKELY HALL.